drift occupies some of the lower ground, and
peaty bogs are common on the mountains. A small tract of blown sand
lies at the mouth of the river Dovey.

_Industries._--The climate on the coast is mild and salubrious, but that
of the hill country is cold, bleak and rainy. The cultivated crops
consist of oats, wheat, barley, turnips and potatoes; and in the lower
districts on the coast, especially in the neighbourhood of Cardigan,
Aberaeron and Llanrhystyd, good crops are raised. The uplands are mostly
covered by wild heathy pastures, which afford good grazing for Welsh
mountain sheep and ponies. The country has long been celebrated for its
breed of "Cardiganshire cobs," for which high prices are often obtained
from English dealers, who frequent the local horse fairs, especially
Dalis Fair at Lampeter. Cattle, sheep, pigs, butter, oats, wool, flannel
and coarse slates form the principal articles of export. Hand-looms are
by no means uncommon in the remote parts of the country, and clog-making
of alder wood meets a local demand. The North Cardiganshire lead-mines,
of which the Lisburne, Goginan and Cwm Ystwyth mines are the most noted,
have been famous, and are said to have been worked by the Romans. Some
of the lead raised is very rich in silver, and in the 17th century so
great was the amount of silver obtained that a mint for coining it was
erected by virtue of letters patent at Aberystwyth.

_Communications._--The railways within the county are the Cambrian, by
means of which access is given to Aberystwyth from all parts of the
kingdom; and the former Manchester & Milford line, which runs south from
Aberystwyth by Lampeter to Pencader, and has been acquired by the Great
Western railway. The lower valley of the Teifi, or Tivyside, is reached
by means of two branch lines of the Great Western railway--one from
Whitland to Cardigan, and the other from Pencader to Llandyssul and
Newcastle-Emlyn.

_Population and Administration._--The area of the administrative county
is 443,071 acres, with a population in 1891 of 63,467, and in 1901 of
60,237. The municipal boroughs are Aberystwyth (pop. 8013), Cardigan
(3511) and Lampeter (1722). Aberaeron and New Quay are urban districts.
Other towns are Tregaron (1509), an ancient but decayed market-town in a
wild boggy district; Aberaeron (1331), a small seaport, and Llandyssul
(2801,) a rising place on the Teifi with woollen factories. In modern
times several small watering-place